Director of Design Strategy for a Chicago strategic branding company, Michael uses semiotics in brand development, visual language research & global brand alignment initiatives for some of the US's largest companies. A BA in Anthropology from Rutgers, he worked as a community developer in Zimbabwe then a researcher at UC San Francisco into the physiological effects of multisensory signifiers on cocaine users. After working for Interbrand, Michael earned a Masters in Design Methodology from the Institute of Design in Chicago, closely mentored in semiotics by Duncan Berry, renowned Peircian and expert in neuro-design.
Chicago, USA
Ryan Hu grew up in Shanghai, graduated in Comprehensive Design then worked for international advertising agencies experiencing how world-class creativity works in the commercial realm. Instead of staying in his comfort zone, he shifted his study focus and spent 2014 studying on the MA in Design Futures & Metadesign at Goldsmiths, University London. Using radical and reflective methodological approaches to design and writing, Ryan engages with changing cultures and collaborative design practice. Personal website: www.tobehvh.com
Shanghai, China
Dimitar has an MA in Business Administration and wrote his dissertation on brand positioning. He is now a PhD student at the New Bulgarian University (NBU) in Sofia, focusing on semiotic tools for research into markets, brands and cultural trend. After working in marketing with various companies Dimitar now teaches marketing and branding, working in the Socio-Semiotic Laboratory at NBU which studies brand awareness, positioning, commercial communication and local consumer behavior.
Sofia, Bulgaria